Birth Certificate

[evajean]

My birth certificate has my maiden name on it. My driver's license has my married name. Will I need a copy of my marriage license or is the driver's license enough?

[runner15km]

Bring a copy of you marriage license. In five cruises we were never asked for it but why take the chance. In the future bring a passport, it just makes the checkin process smoother.

[berrybright]

When I went on the Radiance last yeat, my driver's license had my married name and my birth certificate, obviously, did not. I called RCI and asked if this would be a problem (because I truly hadn't thought about it before). They told me that they would not let me on the boat if the names did not match. (I ended up scrambling to get a copy of my marriage certificate from another state a week before I left). Your names match, so I am sure you will be fine. Why risk it though?

[TheWog]

If you have it definitely bring it. Why need and not have it...

 

When are you traveling? If it is after Dece 31, 2005 you will need a passport if going to the Caribbean. There are many threads on that subject. Just an FYI.

[kitty9]

In 39 cruises on all the major lines, I've never, ever been asked for a marriage license, divorce decree or anything even remotely like that. It's just common sense for the cruise lines to know that an adult woman's birth certificate's name won't match her adult driver's license name because most adult women have their married name. As long as the name on your cruise ticket matches the name on your driver's license, then you won't have a problem.

[traveller99]

The problem may not arise with the cruiseline. It's with Immigration, either in a foreign country or right here in the US. As most of you know, it won't be an issue beginning January 1, 2006.

[JillLynn]

I recently got a new drivers license (in NJ). I was required to show my birth certificate and marriage license. So, maybe since DMV has already taken care of seeing both, the cruise line doesn't need to?

[cruzermon]

I recently got a new drivers license (in NJ). I was required to show my birth certificate and marriage license. So, maybe since DMV has already taken care of seeing both, the cruise line doesn't need to?

 

Bingo. I think that is it. Thanks for the lead. I just checked th CA DMV web site where they explicitly state you need an official name change document and the TX site, where they mention you might need one.

 

It seems like the DL has become a back door official identity card and so the local DMVs perform the task of verifying your identity. This probably explains why I couldn't find any mention of the marriage license on the CBP site.

 

But, I know that some cruise lines require a ML, so you do need to check with them to be on the safe side.

 

And, as someone else pointed out, this becomes moot soon.

[laurasue]

I'm in the "rather safe than sorry" camp, so I would bring it. Thankfully I amended my passport with my married name, so it's not an issue. But when applying for a new DL when we moved to Colorado last year, I had to show old DL (married name), BC (maiden), and Marriage certificate.

[jmb1027]

I did call our cruise line Monday, RCCI, about this question since our cruise docs specifically say names on Driver's License and Birth Certificates must match. They said I definitely need my marriage certificate to "tie" the two together!

 

It is due to new customs, immigration laws. They said customs would probably ask for it. If not when I am leaving then when I get back I may have to prove I am who my driver's license says I am.

[dhcoaster]

Just get a passport. You will need it anyway in 2008.

[texgirl]

:confused: I need to renew my ID so need to know if I should get my name spelled in spanish like on my birth cert. or in english the way I have always gone by? My name in spanish is spelled Vibianna and in english it is Vivian . So I need to change ID,and info. on documents to the way it is on birth cert.?

Please help! I leave at the end of June.

[Happy ks]

texgirl, The name on the booking must match the name on your identification and there is sometimes a fee to change the name on the cruise documents. They can and will deny you boarding without proper documentation. Have you considered legally changing your name to what you go by? Either way you choose to do this, you better get moving, you have only 2 months to get it organized.

 

After you get back, you will probably want to get started on a passport, giving yourself plenty of leeway with the differences in names. BTW, I think your birth name is beautiful.

[KarenIA]

In 39 cruises on all the major lines, I've never, ever been asked for a marriage license, divorce decree or anything even remotely like that. It's just common sense for the cruise lines to know that an adult woman's birth certificate's name won't match her adult driver's license name because most adult women have their married name. As long as the name on your cruise ticket matches the name on your driver's license, then you won't have a problem.

 

 

As they say, these times they are a changin'. Before I had my passport, I carried my birth cert., marriage license, and drivers license. At all immigration points when I've travelled (Since Sep.11th), they've requested all three. A lot of things that use to be common sense and taken for granted just aren't anymore. Why subject yourself to the potential hassle? Save your gambling for the casino. Is it really worth it to play "will they or won't they" at the immigration points? Getting a passport made things so much easier and faster. By the way, I don't complain too much about my forms and ID after traveling with my friend. My widowed young friend, who travels with her children must travel with her husband's death certificate to prove she isn't taking her children out of the country without their father's approval